Sealing shoe attachment for pit covers



Jan. 8, 1957 G. P. REINTJES SEALING--SHGE ATTACHMENT FOR PIT COVERS Filed Nov. 8 1954 QUINN INVENTOR. P. Re ntj s.

Go r72 GEM United States Patent Oiice SEALING SHOE ATTACHMENT FOR PIT COVERS George P. Reinties, Kansas City, Mo.

Application November 8, 1954, Serial No. 467,427

3 Claims. (Cl. 110-173) This invention relates to sealing shoes for soaking pit covers and other chambers of similar nature, and has for its primary object to provide means for securing the shoes to the cover frame so that the shoes may be placed in longitudinally abutting relation without being limited to predetermined locations of bolts or of other securing means. In installations of sealing shoes it is frequently found that expansion and contraction of the cover frame results in some degree of warpage which will change or shift the center of the securing bolts and it becomes necessary to drill new bolt holes. Also it is found that the spacing of securing bolts is not standardized on all covers. The device of the invention makes it possible to install the shoes and use available bolt holes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a double shoe construction in which abutting shoes interlock in double ship-lap or male and female relation and thus collectively provide for a degree of longitudinal adjustment to accommodate frames of different length by spacing the shoes further or closer apart without opening up the joints. By keeping the joint closed escape of hot gases is prevented.

A further object of the invention is to produce a construction which is combined with an inverted V-shaped sealing shoe to form a double seal with a continuity of metal from inner to outer face to assist in maintaining the inner face cooler by conduction of heat to the outer face. Also with such a shoe the weight of the cover will embed the inverted V in the sand of the coping and will force said sand upwardly and cause it to flow longitudinally to fill any voids and thus insure a continuous seal around the periphery of the pit cover.

With the general objects named in view and others as will hereinafter appear the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of a pit cover provided with a peripheral sealing shoe.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section through one side of the pit cover to illustrate the sealing shoe in cooperative relation to the sand in the coping.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pair of endwise abutting sealing shoes of the preferred form.

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the preferred T-slot lug secured in spaced relation to the underside of the pit cover frame.

Figure 5 is a section through the side of a pit cover to illustrate a modified construction.

In the said drawing, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all of the figures, Figure 1 illustrates a pit cover provided with marginal frame member 1 and lifting lugs 2. The pit cover, in general, comprises the frame member 1 which supports cross members 3 from which the cover tile 4 are suspended. In many installations the frame 1 of the pit cover is 2,776,632 Patented Jan. 8, 1957.

provided with a detachable extension or filler casting 6 which is held in position by a series of bolts 5. The lower ends of the frame or of the attachment thereto provides a horizontal flange 7 which carries a series of spaced 5 bolts 8.

. the sealing shoe.

The preferred construction is shown in Figures 2 through 4 in which a pair of inverted V-flanges 9 are provided for embedment in the sand, the angle between the flanges being such that wedge surfaces are provided which will cause the sand to be elevated and will effect longitudinal flow to fill voids and provide a complete peripheral seal around the pit cover. The upper ends of the inclined flanges are integral with a generally rectangular body 9a and are provided with a pair of oppositely facing flanges 10 forming a T-slot and constituting one member of an interlock.

The preferred locking lug to fit the flanges 10 is shown at 11 formed with a bolt receiving opening 12 which is slotted transversely of the frame to permit in and out adjustment so that the lugs can be alined longitudinally of the frame to accommodate any misalinement due to warpage, improper forming, misalinement of bolt, or the like. The opening 12 communicates with a recess 13 in the underside of the lug 11 which receives the head of the securing bolt 3. The side edges of the lug 11 have projecting flanges 14 which constitute the other member of the T-slot interlock and slidingly receive the flanges 10 of With this construction it will be noted that When the nut on the bolt 8 is tightened, the upper surfaces of the flanges 10 are brought into engagement with the underside of the flange extension 7.

By preference the sand sealing shoe is more or less of box form, the inclined wedges 9 being reinforced by ribs 15, and the opposite ends of the shoes respectively terminating in a pair of male and a pair of female flanges 16 and 17. The arrangement provides an inner and outer seal against the escape of hot gases from the furnace. Also, the pockets formed between the ribs 15 are preferably filled with a suitable heat resisting plastic 18, which may be locked in place by a wire or rod 19 passed through alined opening in ribs 15 as shown.

With this construction it will be apparent that the position of the shoes is not limited to any predetermined spacing of the securing bolts 8, but that said shoes may be shifted as needed since the exact point of engagement with a lug is immaterial. When new shoes are fitted it is unnecessary to relocate the securing bolts.

In Figure 5 a modified construction is shown in which the parts of the T-slot connection are reversed, namely, the female T-slot section is formed on the lug 20 and the male member is on the generally rectangular body portion of the sealing shoe 21. Otherwise the construction is substantially similar to that above described.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a construction embodying all of the features of advantage set forth as desirable, and while I have described and illustrated the preferred construction, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to all changes within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sand seal shoe comprising a generally rectangular body formed at its upper side with a T-slot and at its under side with a pair of diverging flanges having their ends respectively coplanar to the longitudinal side edges of the body, two series of parallel ribs extending from the under side of the body to the ends of the diverging flanges, at least one of said series of ribs being formed with through openings, and a rod extending through said openings.

2. A sand seal shoe comprising a generally rectangular body formed at its upper side with a T-shot and at its 3 under side With a pair of diverging flanges having their lower ends resfiectively Coplanar to the longitudinal side edges of the body, and a series of parallel ribs extending from the under side of the body to the ends of the diverging flanges. V

3. A sandseal shoe comprising a generally rectangular body fo rined at its up er side with a T'-slot and at its under side With a pair 'of diverging flanges having their lower ends respectively coplanar to the longitudinal side edges of the body, a series of parallel ribs extending from the under side 'of the body to the ends of the diverging flanges, a pair of male flanges projecting from one end of the shoe, and a pair of complementary female flanges projecting from the opposite end of the shoe.

References Cited in the'file of "this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

